The older looking one spoke in a strong enchanting voice. “I am Kaleb, your protector. I’ll guard you with my very life. As long as I’m around, you will always be safe.” He swiftly returned his focus back towards the entrance.
The younger one took his turn speaking. He had a bit of a deeper voice, but still sounded quite charming. “I’m Garrison. I too, am your protector. You’ll be safe with me at your side. Until death, I promise to stand by you.” He winked and returned his focus to the front of the cave.
Even though I’d just met them, they felt like part of the family. There was a closeness I couldn’t quite explain.
The three of us moved carefully through the remaining fairies. Most had fled the cave during the invasion in hopes of chasing the vampires away as far as possible with their glow. The remaining ones assumed their positions, flying right beside us. It was a sweet gesture, letting us know they were still trying to help. Towering over me, Garrison and Kaleb walked protectively on either side and we came to the entrance. I stopped dead, taking my first look at the dreaded doomahorn.
Doomahorns were such ugly creatures, with large horse-like bodies and a mutated bulge on their back. On top of their beastly heads curled two devilish horns. Long ragged fur coats of dark grays and black patches covered their protruding muscles. Drool poured between their jagged fangs, but their dark beaming red eyes were their most frightening feature — blood burning eyes.
I turned my head away, unable to look any longer. Garrison and Kaleb moved in front of me, assuming a fighting stance with their massive bodies. They positioned themselves so I was no longer in harm’s way.
“Call off your beasts, parasite,” Garrison ordered.
“Beasts, you say?” Daray taunted.
Garrison remained firm, not bothering with a response. He stood his ground, showing no sign of backing down.
“Look at them. They are dark beauties, not beasts.” He walked over to stroke the ugly creature. “Don’t be afraid, Shanntal. They will never harm you.”
Suddenly, the closest one rubbed and pounded its hooves on the ground as if ready to charge. I instinctively moved myself backwards trying to get out of its way. The doomahorn took off, approaching rapidly and Kaleb intervened. He swiftly jumped up on its back, grabbed ahold of its horns and steered the bucking beast away from the crowd. A moment later, he returned alone and promptly took his place by my side.
Daray let out a violent hiss.
I spotted Jayce. The half-breed Lakylee held his arms behind his back. She didn’t appear to be using much force, but enough so that he couldn’t break free. He looked a bit roughed up, but seemed okay despite some minor scratches on his face. A bit of blood from one of his wounds left a stain on his jacket. It seemed strange to me, he was completely surrounded by vampires and werewolves and for some reason they weren’t obsessed with his blood. I immediately jumped to the conclusion it must’ve been because he was also immortal.
My conclusion made me less anxious because it seemed that Jayce would be all right. Clearly they wanted me, not him. I suppose it was part of the reason I’d been granted the protectors. I glanced around the crowd. The nightwalkers looked like they were starting to get antsy. I blurted, “Daray, why did you come here? What do you want?”
Daray stepped forward from his group of followers. I did too. I gestured to my protectors to stay behind and they obeyed. Daray and I stood less than a foot apart and I couldn’t help but take notice of him. He was devilishly handsome and I didn’t fear him like I thought I would have; instead, I was curious. Why did he contact me through the Ouija board? What did he want?
Daray took a noticeable sniff of my arm and let out a low rumbling growl. That’s when I remembered I was bleeding. I cringed from the thought, he was a vampire and the fresh aroma of my blood was tempting him. He must have known what I was thinking because he let out an enchanting chuckle, then said, “Shanntal, you’re not like anyone else.” He held his hand out. “You are so special. We do not wish for your blood. We want you to join us.”
An intoxicated sensation took over. Unable to stop myself, I stretched out my hand toward him. He was in complete control and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it. He pulled me in closer, running his icy fingers over my shoulder. He held onto me tightly in his cold embrace. “My sweet Shanntal, remember you are my queen.” As his sensuous voice spoke, my mind flooded with images. The ordeal was too much to absorb and I passed out. I saw myself standing with Daray, but we were in a different place, a different time. We were together as a couple.
The vision was foggy at first, but then began to clear. We were in a castle and I was wearing a beautiful pink gown while Daray was dressed in black tails. The grand ballroom was filled with sweet flowing music and laughter. People in other beautiful dresses and handsome tails danced throughout the magnificent room. Daray pulled me off to the side and as we stood alone, he took my hand and got down on one knee. “My sweet Shanntal. I will love you forever and always. Will you marry me?”
I threw my arms around him. “Yes, my love, yes!”
Daray and I left the ballroom so we could go somewhere a little more private to celebrate our engagement. We strolled through the glorious gardens, when a stranger appeared from out of nowhere. He stood somewhat hidden by the rose bushes. At first, we paid him no attention, but then he spoke our names. Daray told me to run. I tried to pull him, make him run with me, but the stranger moved so quickly, he flew over to us in no time. He ripped Daray from my arms and I stood helpless, watching in horror as blood began to spray. The stranger looked at me with a smile that exposed his mouth full of fangs. Then, he went back to what he’d come for and sucked the life out of my sweet Daray.
Gathering up my gown, I ran back to the castle as quickly as I could. I pushed open the doors and begged everyone inside to help. “Daray’s been killed. Please, you have to… please someone come help!” I pleaded.
No one came to the rescue. They knew what happened to Daray, it was evident by the blood all over me. Someone shouted, “She’s one of them!” and everyone turned. The angry crowd forcefully removed me from the castle, dragging me back out to the gardens. I kicked and screamed, trying anything to break free, but they were too strong. Six men held me tightly once we got to the area covered with the blood of my beloved. A man with a long grey beard came over and looked me in the eye as I begged him, trying to explain that I was not a vampire. He reached his arms up high into the air and came back down with an excruciating force, stabbing the wooden stake directly through my heart.
My blood began spilling out as I gasped and choked, taking my last living breath. Then I lay there, as still as death. My next breaths came a while later, long after the crowds dissipated. I awoke remembering I had died; yet here I was, still breathing. It was remarkable.
As the days passed, my memories began to fade. I could no longer recall who I was or where I’d been. I wandered alone day after day until a family took me in, my family. They hadn’t been my birth parents, but treated me as one of their own children. They were an immortal family who felt badly for me because of how I’d been turned. I was alone and had no memory. There wasn’t any immortal throughout history that was created like me and they wanted to help ensure I survived.
I did die that night along with my love; only neither one of us had really died after all. We had just taken different paths. He walked the night and I walked during the day. It wasn’t until that night at Ginata’s that Daray found me again. He’d searched for me for a hundred years and I felt overwhelmed by his loyalty.
Daray whispered more information to me. “Due to the fact you weren’t a normally made immortal, born or bitten, you weren’t able to retain memories like other immortals. It’s the price you had to pay for the ability to live forever.”
I suddenly understood why I’d never questioned why I hadn’t aged like others did. With my family being immortal, they also never aged.
Daray spoke softly, his cool breath, upon my skin.
“You’re different because you’re more human than anything else. You’re alive because of the blood of the newborn vampire, not its bite. When my tainted blood twined with yours, it gave you just enough immortality to ensure you had everlasting life. My blood ensured your survival and helped you live throughout time and now you’re back where you belong.”
What kind of immortals had my family been? Were Uncle Dane and Auntie Steph immortal too? How had they kept this hidden from me for so long? Now, I understood why I had trouble remembering pieces of my past. I couldn’t remember going to school, family vacations or even birthday parties. All I could ever put together were simple flashes. I’d had a case of immortal amnesia. My memories were back now and there wasn’t any way I would forget again.
I opened my eyes. I’d forgotten we were down on the beach and what was happening. I felt startled for a brief second, seeing everyone’s eyes on me. I broke out of the embrace and looked over at Jayce, but was drawn back to Daray who still stood in front of me. The way he looked now was just like he had in my memory.
Another realization came to me; they never attacked when I stood before them bleeding because I had immortal blood running through my veins. Daray was no enemy of mine. He was my savior and once upon a time, long ago, he was the love of my life. I moved a step forward, placing my hands all over his cold face, taking in every single detail. He was slightly different than I remembered. The tiny scar along his lip where he’d fallen as a child was no longer there. The one along his eyebrow had also vanished. Ironically, he now sported two new beauty marks in the exact spot where the stranger bit him.
Our reunion had cooled off the confrontation. I was relieved at that much anyway. Everyone around us was immortal, either good or evil, and this left me feeling torn. A few hours ago Jayce had been my world. Now, everything changed because of Daray.
I looked over at Jayce who did not meet my gaze. He kept his eyes on the ground. I tried speaking to him without words, but our connection was no longer linking us together.
I managed to pull myself away from Daray and walked back over to stand between Garrison and Kaleb. I felt safe with my protectors.
Layla and the elements were coming down the beach towards us. Lakylee let go of her grip on Jayce and he walked past me without so much as a look. He headed toward the others and I wanted to go after him, I wanted to follow my friends, but I was so uncertain, all I could do was stay where I was. I felt like I’d been turned into stone. I wasn’t sure how to move or where to go.
Layla shot me a glance, clearly asking why I wasn’t coming. Jayce lifted his head and looked her in the eyes, and I knew she understood. Jayce reconnected us for a brief minute so I was able to pick up a hint of what he was saying. ‘The parasite’s right; I’m not the keeper of everything. I couldn’t even keep the one who meant the most to me.’
My heart shattered as he spoke these words to our friend. Then, I felt him leave and feared it was the last time I’d ever feel connected to him. I didn’t want to hurt Jayce; I honestly loved him, but part of me didn’t want to hurt Daray either. I was supposed to have married him, a hundred years ago of course, but there was definitely some kind of loyalty and love remaining. He’d never given up searching for me; that was true commitment.
I watched as Jayce and my dear friends disappeared down the beach. I tried calling out to Jayce before he was out of sight, but not one of them stopped or even turned around. I felt a lump rise in my throat as I wondered when I’d see them again. I knew what I had to do. For now, I needed to stay neutral, just until I figured out exactly where I belonged. I felt safe with Daray, but not with the company he kept. I felt secure when I was with Jayce and my friends. However, I couldn’t fight the feeling that I owed Daray some form of recognition. After all, it was because of him that I was still alive.
I walked back over and embraced Daray’s cold hands. I paused for a minute; his hands didn’t fit perfectly with mine. His skin was so icy. I really did enjoy the Jayce’s warmth and how perfectly our hands fit together. “Daray, it’s almost dawn. I know you need to head back to your dwellings before daylight arrives. I wanted to let you know that I’m not going to come with you right now.”
“Pardon?” he said, clearly agitated.
“Please don’t get upset. I just need some time to think this through. I’m feeling torn, and honestly, I’m not sure what I should do.”
“I understand, my sweets. Just know I’ve never… ever stopped loving you. I’ve searched for you every night for a hundred years. I’ll never lose track of you again. You are my love.” He leaned in, kissing me fervently. His cool lips breezed swiftly over mine and moved down towards my neck. I fell back into his undeniable trance. Garrison intervened, grabbed my arm and pulled me back over towards Kaleb.
Daray hissed at my protectors in protest. But daybreak was coming soon and he knew I wasn’t going with him, so he and his followers headed down the beach away from us.
I remained along the shoreline with Garrison and Kaleb, watching as the sun started making its way over the horizon. The sky turned marvelous shades of pinks, purples and oranges as the sun highlighted the scattered clouds. It was stunning, watching the new day begin.
Then I wondered, how was I going to get back home? I‘d come to the beach with Jayce and no one else drove cars. I was immortal, but being mostly human, it would take me hours to walk home. I let out a disappointed sigh.
Just then, a voice I knew very well asked, “Can I offer a ride?” I turned around, and my heart fluttered when I saw Jayce alone, standing back on the beach. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to get home easily if you stayed with us daywalkers. I mean… I have to admit, I’m very happy you didn’t leave with Daray and the others.” He mustered up a smile.
I felt so ashamed about how I‘d changed right in front of Jayce. It wasn’t fair to him and I felt incredibly guilty. We walked silently towards his car. I waited for Garrison or Kaleb to get in first, hoping one of them would sit shotgun so I could hide out in the backseat.
Garrison spoke reassuringly. “You’re no longer in danger, so we won’t be coming with you now. If you need us, we will be there. We’re always around for you, Shanntal. Whenever danger’s close, we will stay by your side. You can count on that.”
I gave my protectors each a hug. “Thank you, for everything,” I said, getting into the car. I took a long deep breath as Jayce got in and started up the engine. This started out as the perfect day but ended up as the complete opposite. I never meant to hurt him. However, I saw that I really had and it tore me up inside.
The ride back was awkward. Jayce didn’t hold my hand like he usually did, nor did he read my thoughts. He was just there, driving me home. It was as if there was nothing left between us. I leaned my head against my window, tears filling my eyes. I didn’t want him to know I was crying because it was my fault he was hurting. A tiny sob slipped out and he grabbed my hand.
He spoke softly. “It’s not your fault, Shanntal. After all, at least we are now aware of what Daray wants. You’ve got a decision to make, but I won’t pressure you. You know my heart belongs to you and it’s yours whenever you want it. On one condition though, you have to take the whole thing, in exchange for yours.”
I looked at him through my tear-stained eyes. “I’m so sorry, Jayce. I never wanted any of this. I never knew I was immortal, let alone the fact that I was engaged to Daray.” I squeezed his hand tightly. “I never thought anything could come between us.”
We drove the rest of the way home in silence. He still held onto my hand, but it didn’t feel the same as before. We pulled up in front of my house and I looked over at Jayce. “I’m truly sorry… I’m not sure what I am supposed to do.” I was going to get out, but had to say one more thing before it was too late. “Please know I care for you deeply and this is hurting me too.”
He leaned over and placed his warm lingering kiss on my cheek. I reached my arms tightly around his neck, hugging him as hard as I could. As I pulled awa
y, he moved forward, placing his fiery hot kiss directly on my lips. I couldn’t help but react and kissed him back. There was something about kissing him that felt so right.
He pulled away. “I’ll be here when you want me, Shanntal. Just let me know whenever you’re ready.”
I nodded and got out of the car. I closed the door and watched as he drove away, taking a piece of my heart with him. I was left with a missing void, an unbearable pain that made me almost fall over. When he was completely out of sight, I slowly walked up to the house. I stood outside the front door for a moment, trying to fix whatever make-up was left around my eyes. If there was any, it would’ve been smeared halfway down my face and I didn’t want Auntie Steph and Uncle Dane to worry.
I walked through the front door and found them sitting in the kitchen having their morning coffee and breakfast. It was another typical day for them and I felt envious. Why weren’t my days ever typical?
Escaped the Night Page 9